CFL Recycling and Disposal Information Sheet
Why is recycling CFLs important?
  • Recycling prevents the release of mercury into the environment. CFLs and other fluorescent lampsare a ‘sealed system’ which allows the mercury and phosphorus to be controlled and reused. When thrown intoregular trash, they will likely break, releasing those chemicals into our air and water.
  • Materials in the bulbs get reused. Recycling CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs allows reuse of the glass, metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights.
  • California law prohibits throwing out CFL’s in the trash.
How to recycle CFLs?
Visit SFEnvironment.org to locate a Bay Area recycling center near you.

Your own local refuse removal service will also list how to get CFLs recycled – see their website. Many counties have household hazardous waste drop-off locations and/or curbside and other special collection programs.

  • Local retailers. Many hardware supply stores and other retailers offer in-store recycling, suchas Ace/True Value Hardware, Home Depot, IKEA, Lowe’s, and Orchard Supply. Make sure you checkdirectly with the store before you go; not all stores are equipped to recycle lights.
  • Use mail-back services. Some bulb manufacturers and other organizations sell pre-labeled recycling kits that allow you to mail used bulbs to recycling centers. The cost of each kit includesshipping charges to the recycling center. You fill up a kit with old bulbs, seal it, and bring it to the post office or leave for your postal carrier.

What to do if you have a broken CFL

CFL’s contain very small amounts of mercury and phosphorussealed within the glasstubing. The U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) recommends the following clean‐upand disposal steps:

Before cleanup - air out the room

  • Have people and pets leave the roomfor 15 minutes or more, don't let anyone walk through thebreakage area on their way out.
  • Open a window before leaving the room to help it air out.
  • Shut off the central forced‐air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Cleanup steps for hard surfaces

  • Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealedplastic bag.
  • Use sticky tape, such as duct tape,to pick up any remaining small glassfragments and powder and place in a sealed jar or plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum.
  • Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Placetowels in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Cleanup steps for carpeting or rug

  • Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with a lid or a sealed plastic bag.
  • Use sticky tape to pick up any remaining small glassfragments and powder.
  • If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the areawhere the bulb was broken.
  • Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag orvacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Cleanup steps for clothing, bedding and other soft materials

  • Clothing or bedding should be thrown away if they come into contact with a broken CFL. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate themachine and/or pollute sewage.
  • You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing whenyou cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into directcontact with the broken bulb.
  • If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury‐containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wetwipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of cleanup materials

  • Immediately place all clean‐up materials outdoors in a trash container orprotected area for the next normal trash pickup.
  • Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean‐upmaterials.

Future cleaning of carpeting or rug: air out the room during and after vacuuming

  • The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced‐air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
  • Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

Concerned about the effects of mercury on the body after a CFL break?

A study conducted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) found that disposing of a broken CFL resulted in mercury exposure equivalent to about 1⁄50th of an ounce - that’s the amount of mercury in a single nibble of Albacore tuna. Visit this link for more information: